Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । धर्मारण्ये वरे दिव्ये बकुलार्के स्वधिष्ठिते । शून्यस्वामिनि विप्रेंद्र स्थिते नारायणे प्रभौ

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | dharmāraṇye vare divye bakulārke svadhiṣṭhite | śūnyasvāmini vipreṃdra sthite nārāyaṇe prabhau

Translation

Vyāsa sprach: Im erhabenen, göttlichen Dharmāraṇya—wo Bakulārka auf seinem eigenen Sitz fest gegründet ist—o Bester der Brahmanen, als der Herr Nārāyaṇa bei Śūnyasvāmin gegenwärtig war…

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• धर्मारण्ये: in the Dharmāraṇya (forest of Dharma)
• धर्मारण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य अरण्यम्)

• वरे: excellent
• वरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying धर्मारण्ये)

• दिव्ये: divine
• दिव्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• बकुलार्के: in Bakulārka (place/name)
• बकुलार्के: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकुल + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बकुलस्य अर्कः/सूर्यः इव)

• स्वधिष्ठिते: self-presided/established by itself
• स्वधिष्ठिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + अधिष्ठित (कृदन्त; अधि-स्था धातोः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘अधिष्ठित’ = ‘presided/occupied’; अव्ययीभावः (स्वयम्-अधिष्ठिते)

• शून्यस्वामिनि: in Śūnyasvāmin (place/deity-name)
• शून्यस्वामिनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शून्य + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शून्यस्य स्वामी)

• विप्रेन्द्र: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः)

• स्थिते: being present/abiding
• स्थिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त; स्था धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• नारायणे: in/at Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• प्रभौ: in the Lord
• प्रभौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘प्रभु’ उकारान्त

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (with Bakulārka and Śūnyasvāmin)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (a leading Brahmin)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa narrates a sacred forest-kṣetra: a radiant Arka (Sun) shrine named Bakulārka on its pedestal, nearby the austere Śūnyasvāmin shrine, with Nārāyaṇa’s presence sanctifying the grove.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Dharmāraṇya
• Bakulārka
• Śūnyasvāmin
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are presented as living abodes of the Divine, where local deities and Nārāyaṇa’s presence sanctify the landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest), with specific mention of Bakulārka and Śūnyasvāmin as local sacred stations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the sacred setting for the ensuing narration.